The threat of losing state accreditation became real to Sedgefield Elementary School Principal Leonard Singleton when he learned this week that only a few students at his school passed the state's fifth-grade history test.

"I'm very concerned about that," Singleton said. "However, the good thing is we know what the target is and we have a timeline to get there."

Sedgefield Elementary, in Newport News, is one of 11 area schools where more than 90 percent of students failed the fifth-grade history SOL test given last spring. That exam alone could mean the difference between a school keeping or losing its state accreditation.

By 2006, Virginia is requiring that 70 percent of public school students pass certain SOL tests, such as fifth grade history, in order to remain in good standing with the state. Schools that cannot demonstrate continuous improvement by fall 2003 will be "accredited with warning."

Given that mandate, the vast majority of local schools must show significant improvements on the fifth-grade history test during the next few years in order to maintain accreditation.

Statewide, a greater percentage of students failed the fifth-grade history test than any of the 26 other SOL tests given last school year. Only 33 percent of Virginia's public school students passed the fifth-grade history exam.

Of 12 area school divisions, York County had the largest percentage of students passing the test, 55 percent. Surry County had the least, with 14 percent.

Only two area schools - York County's Bethel Manor and Mt. Vernon elementary schools - met the state standard.

"The test covered materials taught in fourth grade," said Bethel Manor Principal Anne Darling. "It created a time management problem for everyone. I had my fourth and fifth grade teachers working on this."

So, Bethel Manor fifth-graders learned fifth- and fourth-grade SOL material during one school year, she said.

The fifth grade history test asks students questions about Virginia history, but most of the material is taught in fourth grade. Most eductors complained that by the time students took the fifth-grade test, they had forgotten what they learned in fourth grade.

"That's an issue we fixed now," said Mark Christie, a state school board member. Last fall state officials agreed to let local divisions give the fifth-grade SOL test at the end of fourth grade. "That will be helpful in raising the scores," he said. "I don't think that's an excuse for a score of less than 10 percent."

Newport News public schools will take advantage of that change, said Harvey Perkins, assistant superintendent for instructional services. That was one issue cited by Singleton at Sedgefield, where only 5 percent of students passed the fifth-grade history test. Singleton also said students there have serious problems with reading, which affects their other tests.

Singleton has called on the Junior League of Hampton Roads to help improve student performance. More than 200 league members have agreed to visit Sedgefield at least four times during the school year for 45-minute tutoring sessions with students. The league has also purchased workbooks focused on helping students improve in math and history.

''We do believe we are on the right track," Singleton said.

At Aberdeen Elementary School in Hampton, where fewer than 1 percent of the fifth-graders passed the history exam, the school's principal tried to remain positive.

"It's going to take a lot of hard work, but we look at it in an optimistic light," Aberdeen Principal Linda Selden said. "We are going to do all we can" to help students meet the state standards.

Selden said parents of students at the school are now getting information to help them understand the SOLs and "they can help us, help their children at home."

Students are also doing more hands-on work now so they can "absorb" the lessons taught and can apply them to SOL testing, rather than using only rote memory. "We want them to relate what they learned in the area of social sciences to other experiences," she said.

Educators also blame poor fifth-grade history results on the state's requirement that more new information be taught in that subject than for any other SOL test.

For years, elementary history lessons focused on an "expanding horizons" curricula, Perkins and Christie said. For instance, lessons for early grades focused initially on learning the responsibilities in families, then neighborhoods, the state and onto the world, Perkins said.

When the new SOLs were adopted, school officials had to search for new materials that would teach more specific lessons. For instance, one fourth-grade standard requires students to be able to trace the accomplishments of prominent Vir-ginians, including Woodrow Wilson, Harry F. Byrd and L. Douglas Wilder.

Poor history scores didn't surprise Christie, who was a history major in college.

"In history, the shame is that in the last 25 years, the teaching has really been watered down - frankly dumbed down," Christie said. "We know we face a massive challenge in Virginia to raise student achievement and that's what this is all about. It's not about punishing a teacher or students. It's about raising student achievement."